The Power of Theory in Science

[n2doc]

By Ethan Siegel | Jun 15, 2011 07:58 AM | 8

Share Email Print
"He who loves practice without theory is like the sailor who boards ship without a rudder and compass and never knows where he may cast." -Leonardo Da Vinci

It's often lonely, these days, as a theorist. As soon as most people hear the word theory, in fact, they start thinking about something like this:



(Image credit: F. Steiger.)

But if you're scientifically minded, you know just how powerful your theory is. Because your theory – if it's any good – allows you to not only explain what you've already seen, but allows you to predict something new, which you can then go look for.



...

So the next time someone tells you that the Big Bang, Evolution, or Global Warming is just a theory, you'll know what to do.

You'll tell them, yes, it is the best theory.

In science, that's as close as we ever get to certainty and the truth. The better we understand and test it, the more compelling, valid, and powerful it gets. And when that happens, we can learn from it, find and identify if there's a problem, and try to deal with it.

more (good read)
http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post.cfm?id=the-power-of-theory-in-science-2011-06-15